


Eight Long Years

by Rachrar



Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Heroic au, M/M, TheMcNobody's Hero AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 05:02:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13139628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachrar/pseuds/Rachrar
Summary: Five times White Hat said "I love you" and one time Slug did.





	Eight Long Years

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Themcnobody](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Themcnobody/gifts).



> This was a gift for the lovely TheMcNobody, my love. Merry Christmas~

1

It was a grand presentation of everything Slug found pleasant, from his favorite foods to the decoration. The normally soft pastel colors of the mansion were dark and dreary, black and reds over the usual white and blue, giving the living room an aura of gloom and doom. Slug’s eyes went wide as he walked in from the hallway, taking in the details.

The coffee table that normally took up the space between the couches was a regular table, one of the couches gone entirely, and there was a veritable mountain of gifts resting on top of the dark wood. Blinking in confusion, he looked for White Hat to explain what was going on. It wasn’t Christmas, so what was going on?

“Happy birthday!” White Hat chirped, manifesting from the wall and holding two steaming mugs, one of coffee for Slug and one of tea for himself. Slug took the cup, sipping at the dark coffee and finding it perfect. He didn’t expect any of this, honestly hadn’t even remembered that his birthday was even close, but this was over the top, even for White Hat.

“...I didn’t know today was my birthday.” White Hat swept Slug off of his feet, plopping him into the plushest chair in the room with a beaming smile that looked like it would hurt his face to replicate.

“Of course it is! And of course we’re going to celebrate it! I’m going to try and make people I love happy!” Slug froze in place, hand deep into a gift bag. “ _ People I love.” _

Was that…

White Hat was prattling on about plans he made, vacations he had thought of if Slug wanted to check them out, not even giving Slug a chance to interject, a stonewalling tactic Slug recognized as a panic response. His lips twitched into a slight smile, amused, and turned his attention to the gifts. He wasn’t going to say it back, and he knew White Hat wasn’t going to say it straight out, but there it was; the first “I love you.”

* * *

 

2

“Y-yes, yes yes!” White Hat whimpered, riding Slug’s magicked strap to get it to grind against his g-spot just so, his tongue lolling out of his mouth between sharp teeth. “Oh, Slug!”

Slug smirked, bag-free, and the expression just made White Hat all the hotter, the arrogance of this human so powerfully fucking him stupid--! Slug grunted, the knot beginning to expand, catching on White’s hole and tugging, and there it was, that climax that was teasing him for the past hour rolled over his form. His skin rippled like mixing paint, his cock straightening only to curl convulsively and repeating the motion to encourage the cum to spray out, a few drops even striking Slug’s face.

Slug licked at the cum, pausing to debate if it tasted acceptable. A moment later, he brought a hand up to wipe it off, then lapped at his hand, cleaning himself of White’s cum in long, languid licks. White Hat whined at the image, collapsing on top of Slug, careful to keep most of his weight on his arms on either side of Slug’s head.

Purring loudly, he nosed against Slug’s neck, pressing kisses and nips along the pale skin. “ **I love you,** ” he said in his native tongue, the meaning of the sibilant hisses beyond Slug’s understanding, but the tone was sweet, and Slug felt an unfamiliar warmth suffuse his chest anyway.

* * *

 

3

The laser blast came close enough to Slug’s head that it burned a hole through his bag, the scent of burning hair filling the paper bag and making his nose wrinkle. Disgusting. He shot a ray of his own towards the flying villain, but she just avoided it with a mocking step to the side. She didn’t avoid White Hat’s sudden jump, however, dropping to the ground like a rock with the eldritch atop her.

Pinning her down with tentacles, White Hat sighed and shook his head. “Please, this isn’t necessary. If you submit, I promise you a fair trial and no death penalty, regardless of your crimes.”

She snarled, bursting into flames. White Hat was strong, but he was not immune to flames and he released her, scowling in shock and pain. Cradling his arm for a moment, he looked down to check the damage, trusting Slug to keep her occupied.

Slug was changing the battery in his gun, having expected the fight to be over once she was captured, and that lack of attention from both White Hat and Slug gave her the opportunity to strike a low blow. She dived at Slug, snatched him up and shot into the air, riding a thermal column and startling Slug into a scream.

White Hat’s head snapped up, eyes locked on the villain. She wasn’t that stupid, was she? He crouched a bit, ready to spring into the air and tackle her, but she adjusted her grip on Slug, an arm around his neck in a chokehold and a hand to his back.

“Don’t do it!” She screeched threateningly, and Slug felt the heat from her hand against his flesh, already burning through the clothing and labcoat. “I’ll burn the heart out of him if you move a fucking muscle!”

White Hat froze in place, refusing to give her the opportunity to destroy his scientist. He could heal many things, but replacing a heart was beyond his skills. “What do you want?” He offered, voice cracking at the idea of losing Slug.

“Freedom! Anarchy! Destruction of the Hero’s League!”

“Okay, I can’t promise that. Why don’t you release Slug and we can have a discussion? A civil one?”

She snorted. “I’m not dropping Slug, he’s the only thing keeping me from being annihilated.”

White Hat took in a shuddering breath. Calm. Calm. He was a benevolent hero, not the executioner. The humans have trials and laws, and he was not better than them. He was not the judge. “I’m not going to kill you.”

“I don’t trust that,” she answered. “I don’t trust you.”

“That’s pretty smart,” Slug snapped. The conversation had loosened her grip just the littlest amount and he elbowed her stomach. She released him with a yelp of pain, doubling over.

Time slowed to a crawl for White Hat, watching two options play out before him; he could catch Slug, but that would leave her open to run away and hurt more people, possibly murder, or he could capture her and trust Slug to catch himself. His duty as a hero chose for him and she was wrapped in tentacles before he could realize what he had done. 

He would never in his life, as long as it may be, forget the awful, meaty thump against the ground and screams of pain that followed afterwards. Securing the villain tightly with Slug-made tools tailor made for her powers in moments, he turned his attention to the awkward shape on the ground that was his scientist.

He was by Slug’s side, tears in his eyes as he took in the broken sight, multiple bones broken and blood gushing from wounds. Slug’s bag was soaked in scarlet, the screams fading into whimpered gasps for air as he held onto life.

“No no no!” Chanting words he scarcely remembered, magic poured from a rip in reality into Slug, hoping desperately that it would keep him alive, that it would fix his beloved into at least a state the humans could continue fixing. “Slug, please, just hold on-- I’m so sorry--”

Hiccupping through his sobs, his tears fell onto Slug, ugly crying his apologies. The bag split as Slug’s head moved, revealing a badly wounded face. Slug coughed up blood, messing White Hat’s clothing, but the hero didn’t care, a sliver of hope in his chest at that. Slug was definitely  _ alive _ and as long as he could stay that way, White Hat didn’t care for anything else. A tentacle wiped up some of the blood, drawing on the ground nearby.

Clemencia hurried out from the bloody summoning sigil White Hat just made, her eyes widening at the sight. White Hat’s hands were hovering over Slug, wanting to hold him close and run his fingers through Slug’s hair, to kiss away the pain.

Pushing up her sleeves, she got to work; her more earthly magic connecting to Slug easier than White Hat’s. White Hat rubbed at his eyes, whisking the tears away and gently petting Slug’s hair. “I’m so sorry, Slug. I love you so much, please-- please…”

Clemencia leaned against White Hat for a moment in solidarity, hearing the ambulances rush up behind them. Slug raised a hand, shaking and weak, and rested it on top of White Hat’s, the tiniest smile quirking his lips in acknowledgement of what White Hat said, patting White Hat softly.

The trip to the hospital was terrifying, especially when Slug passed out in exhaustion and pain, but while the recovery was slow, Slug lived, and White Hat couldn’t ask for more.

* * *

 

4

Slug leaned against White Hat, nibbling on the candy in his lap. The movie played on the massive TV before them, a veritable feast of snacks on the coffee table that they were slowly working through. White Hat shifted so his arm was around Slug’s shoulders, wishing the man was more cuddly. Rather than pulling away, Slug merely sighed, nuzzling into White Hat and laying his head on his shoulder. White Hat swallowed a choked up noise, a heat in his chest making him feel warm and fuzzy.

Slug didn’t go for a dick grab, didn’t try making it sexual, just snuggled into White Hat, and the cozy simplicity of watching a movie with his boyfriend was perfect. There were no villains bursting in to ruin their night, no calls from the Hero’s League for training, no work to be done to steal Slug away from White Hat for who knows how long, chasing his curiosity. 

No, there was just White Hat and Slug, cuddling together on the couch and watching a movie. It was so domestic and simple, and that made it perfect.

“I love you, Slug.” White Hat murmured gently, the first time he said it without beating around the bush or Slug nearly dying.

Slug paused, not sure how to reply. He looked away, avoiding White Ha’s gaze. He couldn’t just-- just say it. Slug didn’t work like that. Should he thank White Hat? That’s weird, though, right? He definitely couldn’t pull a Han Solo and say he knew.

White Hat pressed a kiss to Slug’s bag. “It’s alright. You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to tell you when you were, you know. Lucid.” He smiled, but there was just a touch of sadness to it, but he understood.

Slug’s lips moved, wanting to say something, anything, but he just settled on a head bump to White Hat’s shoulder, a bagged kiss.

They returned to the movie, White Hat rubbing Slug’s shoulder comfortingly.

* * *

 

5

“Goddamnit, White Hat!” Slug kicked at a table, knocking off the assorted materials, metal rattling as it bounced against the floor of his lab. Pacing around before his boss and pulling at his sleeves to prevent breaking something less replaceable, Slug shook his head in frustration. “I’m going, whether you want me to or not!”

“No!” White Hat stood in the door, refusing to let Slug leave. “Your bag is known, and even if it wasn’t, you might be mistaken for Flug. I’m not going to let you get hurt!”

“It’s my fucking choice! You can’t keep me locked up in the mansion until I die, White! I have to leave before I go batshit!” Slug tried pushing past White Hat only to be stopped by an arm. He tried slipping under the arm but White moved faster than Slug could ever imagine and he was gently pushed back into the lab.

“I can, and I will,” White Hat was firm on this point. The idea of Slug getting hurt when recognized as a former villain haunted him, and he was terrified of it. The only way to guarantee he would never get hurt would be to keep him in his sight, or at least in the manor. There were already five heroes murdered in the last week, and the Hero’s League were biting at the chain to get the villains back, not to mention villains wanting to pay Slug back for selling them out once he joined with White Hat. It was dangerous, and there was no way he would let Slug get hurt on his watch.

“So you’re going to keep me a prisoner,” Slug answered, arms crossed. His eyes blazed in fury, but his tone was carefully even. “I thought I was allowed to leave now. Unless the past few years of freedom have been a fever dream?”

White Hat flinched at the implication. He was not Slug’s warden, and had not been for a long time now. Did Slug still feel like he was making up for his mistakes? Did he feel like he was still not trusted? Because White Hat did trust him-- he just didn’t trust the world. Slug was a hero; a reluctant one, but he had softened over the years and he didn’t actively aim for people to get hurt. Hell, he hadn’t even made anything that caused pain as a primary function in at least 9 months, and that was impressive. 

But… the outside world was so dangerous and scary for humans, especially ones without any kind of powers. As smart as Slug was, he was so incredibly fragile and it was scary. “N-no, that… that isn’t it at all, Slug.”

“Then what is it?” Slug demanded, poking White Hat in the chest hard enough that White Hat actually felt it through his clothing. “What is stopping you? I have rights, and you know that. I haven’t done anything that merits any ‘punishment’, I haven’t pissed you off or anyone else, for that matter. I’ve been a hermit for the past month working on a goddamn invention. There is nothing you can say that makes this fair!”

“I’m scared, okay!?” White Hat burst finally, unable to stop the tears of frustration from welling up in his eyes, water sticking to his monocle. He wiped at his eyes roughly, flinging the drops to the side like they were responsible for his frustration. “I love you, and I don’t want to lose you! You’re so soft and squishy, and humans are good at killing other humans, and you all die so easily! I just-- I just don’t want to lose you because someone holds a grudge!”

Slug recoiled, blinking. He had never seen White Hat like that, cry from frustration. He knew he was just a human, and yeah, humans were weak, but… White Hat just wanted him to live. Misguided as hell, and he was going about it in a way that did nothing but pit them against each other, rather than find a solution.

Slug deflated, his anger melting into understanding. He was still annoyed, but. Well. He was weak when White Hat cried. “Look, White. That isn’t how you keep me safe.”

Slug cupped White Hat’s face, his thumb rubbing against his cheek. White Hat sniffed back some tears, leaning into Slug’s hand. “I’m sorry…”

Slug sighed, pulling White Hat into a hug. The taller being melted into it, nuzzling into Slug and hiccupping softly. Slug kissed White Hat’s head, the bag rustling against the hat, but they both knew what it meant. “I’m going to go. I haven’t seen Flug in ages and we haven’t had time together in literal years, White Hat.” His words were firm, but with a gentleness that Slug rarely employed.

White Hat snatched Slug up into a tight hug, then pulled him away, setting him back down and meeting his eyes anxiously. “Be careful. Promise me you’ll at least keep a way to contact me on you. Please.”

Slug tilted his head in acknowledgement. “I will, you worrywort.”

White Hat inhaled, trying to calm himself and prevent more tears. Once the flow began, it was hard to stop. “I love you, Slug.”

Slug patted White Hat’s shoulder, slipping past him to go to his room and prepare for the trip. White Hat rubbed at his face, feeling the liquid rub his face raw. 

* * *

 

1

“White Hat.” Slug knocked on White Hat’s office door before walking in, the eldritch looking up from paperwork curiously. He set his pen aside, attention on Slug politely. “I’ve made a decision.”

Curious now, White Hat indicated for Slug to sit in the chair opposite. The plush cushion melted under Slug as he sat down, leaning sideways on the arm comfortably. “What is it?”

“Remember when you offered to make me live forever?”

White Hat perked up, smiling brightly. “Oh yes! I also remember what you said, ‘fuck no’,” he said with air quotes and all. Slug snorted in amusement.

“Yeah, but I didn’t want to spend more time with you than I had to back then.” He shifted to sit properly on the chair. “Been years and there’s a bit of a difference between 24 year old me and 32 year old me.”

White Hat’s smile faded just a little. It was slow, to be sure, but he had seen Slug’s energy and lifeforce fading over the years in short little trickles. Before much more time passed, he was going to fade away entirely, as all humans do so very quickly. “Yes, I have seen how fast time passes for humans. It’s depressing.”

“Right.” Slug looked at his nails to avoid looking at White Hat. “Plus I hated you then, you know. Been nearly a decade now. Feelings change and all that.” He waved his hand dismissively. “You know how that goes.”

“Yes,” White Hat agreed, hoping this was going where he thought it was going, leaning forward eagerly.

“Well. I suppose if the offer is still on the table,” Slug tapped the arm of the chair, “I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of an extended life with you.”

It took a moment for it to sink into White Hat, then he smiled so widely and brightly that Slug felt secondhand ache in his cheeks. “Yes! Of course it is! We can do it right now!”

Slug didn’t expect that enthusiastic of a response, pausing. “Right now?”

“Of course! Why wait and let time get even a little more of you? Come on!” White Hat leapt from his chair, running to the side room of his office and rummaging through his various books for the relevant tome with the ritual. White Hat bustled out a few moments later, book in hand along with some chalk, glimmering paper, a knife, and a quill Slug had never seen before.

White pushed the chairs back, Slug pulling his feet up and watching intently. White Hat consulted the book every few minutes, drawing intricate lines and circles upon the floor and setting stones and candles at careful intervals. It took the majority of an hour to make sure it was just right, and he moved to kneel in the middle, careful not to touch any chalk lines. “Join me.”

Slug pulled off his labcoat, not wanting the white chalk on the black fabric, then stepped over the chalk markings to the middle. He hesitated, then knelt before White Hat as well. A cutting motion from White Hat and the electric lights turned dark, leaving them in candlelight.

“Slug Flys.” Slug stopped his fidgeting, having heard his full name from White Hat’s mouth so rarely. White Hat was writing on the glimmering paper, the quill scratching along the surface. It was rough, not adding ink to create words but pressing in indents with the sharp tip, but it never tore through. Slug couldn’t read a word that White Hat was writing, but White finished his writing a moment later and held it out for Slug to look over anyway.

The paper was dense and heavy, more like a sheet of plastic than paper, but with an odd give to it. He stared at it pointlessly, the sigils meaningless, but they began to wriggle and morph before his eyes into English. It was straightforward,, Slug would receive nearly immortal life so long as White Hat will live.  In exchange, Slug would give up… Something. It was blank there. He glanced up at White Hat, whose solemn expression kept him from cracking a joke.

“What do we do? What do I give up?”

White Hat took the paper gently, setting it down. “That is up to you. We exchange gifts of meaning, and those gifts bind us together. I give to you part of me, and that gives you an extended lifespan as a result, plus an appropriate gift, depending on what I give you. Your gift to me will do much the same; my lifespan will be lowered a slight amount, but I will gain something depending on what you offer to me. If you are not comfortable with this, I understand.”

Slug’s eyes rested on the paper, thinking for a long, long minute. White Hat didn’t rush him, letting the silence reign as long as it needed to. “I will.”

White Hat nodded. “Are you ready? Do you know what to give?”

“... I’m guessing it has to be meaningful, so something that is actually a sacrifice on my part. Not, for example, my vagina.” Slug’s dry voice made White Hat chuckle.

“Correct. While it would be a worthy gift from someone who valued theirs, it does not from you, as you do not want it to begin with. It has to be something you would rather keep.” He pointed to the knife laying on the ground by the quill. 

“For example, on my end, I am offering you my eye.” He pointed to his left eye, covered by the monocle. “I know your right eye is blind, and this will give you sight beyond a human’s reach, even with perfect vision. You will have to adjust, but it will likely give you the ability to see magic and through the various planes of reality, if you bend your will towards it.”

Slug whistled in appreciation. “Well then.” He went over himself mentally as though his body were a 3D model. He hardly had anything worth giving up; his organs were stressed from his poor life choices, so they were out. Couldn’t really give up much organ wise anyway, he kind of needed them to live. His brain was in the same category, even if he was particularly proud of his smarts. His hands tightened in mounting annoyance, but the sensation of the fingers clenching gave him pause. Something he would rather not give up.

His dominant hand, the right, would be worthy. With time, he could get past the limitation, and that was something he would have plenty of after this. He had some ideas of limb replacements bouncing around his head anyway, having seen some of the older heroes missing theirs and having problems dealing with the loss. This would just speed up the process.

“My right hand.”

White Hat tilted his head in thought. “Your main hand. Your work relies on having precise and careful manipulation, and losing a hand will be difficult. As it is part of an eldritch contract, I will not be able to create a magical replacement. Are you sure about this?”

Slug flexed his hand as if savoring the last feelings. “Yes.”

White Hat didn’t answer, picking up the knife. He pricked his finger, letting his blood drip onto the paper. It flowed more easily than human blood, thinner and lighter, filling the walls left by the quill easily. He added in Slug’s sacrifice in the empty space, then signed his name at the bottom. He turned the quill and paper over to Slug. Slug did the same, letting their blood mix and signing with his own, though it was more difficult with his comparatively viscous blood.

“Are you ready?” White Hat asked, holding the knife backwards and readying himself. Slug took in a deep breath, then nodded.

White Hat was swift, the exchange as quick as possible to prevent undue pain. While he was unable to replace Slug’s hand, he could seal the wound and help Slug with the pain. The switching of the eyes was much easier, merely pressing the orb against Slug’s closed eye and it melted into the man’s flesh. Blinking a few times as the eye adjusted to its new home, slightly smaller in Slug’s socket. The bright blue hue peered out at White Hat, a shocking comparison to the darker color of Slug’s natural eye.

The hand was different, however, merely melting into nothingness over the contract. Slug frowned slightly. “Don’t worry,” White Hat said, noticing the slight annoyance. “I gather the skill and experience from the hand rather than having to take the physical form. You could have the same, but unless we replaced the eye entirely, you would not have normal human vision in addition to my eldritch vision.”

“Ah.” Slug nodded. “I see. Literally.” They both laughed lightly, still a little giddy from the experience. 

White Hat checked everything over, and as soon as he was sure the ritual was completed, he whisked them away to his room, tugging Slug into a tight cuddle session on his bed. “Thank you.”

Slug snorted in response, going to rub his thumb on White Hat’s cheek, but stopping when he saw the stub at the end of his arm. Letting his arm flop down, he huffed, instead leaning closer to press a kiss to White Hat’s cheek. “You’re the one who basically gave me eternal life.”

“You’re the one who chose to spend it with me,” White Hat retorted, then covered Slug’s face in kisses to the playful protest of the human pushing against his chest with teasing laughter.

“Like hell I’d spend it with anyone else,” he said casually. “I love you, White Hat.”

White Hat’s eyes went wide, then immediately filled with tears and he broke down into happy tears. “I love you too, Slug! I love you so much!” Slug was engulfed in a tight snuggle hug, snorting in amusement as he tried to keep air in his lungs.

“Oh, come on, you act like you didn’t know that to begin with.” Slug tried to play it off like it wasn’t a significant thing, or the first time he had ever said it.

“Knowing and hearing it are two different things. Say it again!” White Hat begged, cradling Slug close like he was his lifeline.

“I love you.”

“Again!”

“I love you. I have for a long time now.” Pushing himself up on his whole arm, he moved over White Hat to smother him in kisses, murmuring his love with every press of his lips until they collapsed into a tired, giggly mess, enjoying the feel of each other in their arms, and reveling in the knowledge that they always would.


End file.
